1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of lighting fixtures, and more particularly to a backlighting light fixture adapted for use in the backlighting of image bearing panels of trade show, point of purchase display, graphic advertisement stands for various products, such as cosmetics, and also for light tables.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Trade shows provide an ideal venue for participants to display their goods and services to others in the industry, potential customers, and members of the general public. At any given time, there are literally tens of hundreds of trade shows going on around the country and world. The business of providing and setting up the various trade show display structures and equipment has, in its own right, created many new business opportunities. However, the high costs associated with purchasing, maintaining, transporting, storing, and setting up and taking down trade show display structures are an ongoing source of concern. Those in the industry of manufacturing trade show display structures are continually searching for new ways to improve their trade show display structures to make them less expensive to manufacture and maintain, more compact to store and ship, lighter in weight, and quicker and easier to set up and take down.
One popular style of display structure utilizes numerous modular panel sections which can be quickly and easily joined together into a number of customizable structures to suit the end-user's needs, and when not used, broken down for compact and lightweight storage and shipping. The modular panel sections have a frame structure assembled from rail sections, with openings formed between the rails. The openings are typically occupied by opaque, transparent or translucent panels, depending on how the panels will be used. In some of these systems, spot lights are placed in front of the trade show display structures and are used to illuminate the graphics and images on the panels.
Other systems utilize backlighting to illuminate images which have been placed on transparent or translucent panels by printing, silkscreening or laminating. In the trade show display stand industry, images are printed on a light-diffusing film, which is then laminated to a sheet of plastic, such as PLEXIGLAS.RTM.. The light diffusing film is used to prevent the outline of the light source positioned behind the panels, i.e. fluorescent lamps, from being too noticeable. The image bearing light-diffusing film is then overlaid with a transparent protective layer or film. These image bearing panels can be backlit with a lightbox which is affixed to the frame behind the image bearing panels. These backlit panels have an attractive look and impact, and are popular. However, these types of panels are somewhat expensive.
Presently, the prior art backlighting lightboxes consist of relatively heavy (10 to 20 lbs), deep (six to eight inches), and expensive sheet metal or aluminum boxes into which light fixtures, i.e. fluorescent lamps or incandescent bulbs, are permanently mounted. These lightboxes are then mounted with clips, screws or bolts to the back of the panels to be backlit. These lightboxes cannot be broken down into flatter structures for storage and shipping, and because of their weight, are more difficult to handle during the assembly of the display structures. Also, since these prior art lightboxes have a substantial depth, it is not possible to use them to build columns with backlit panels on all four sides. There accordingly remains a need for a backlighting light fixture for trade show and presentation display structures which are low in cost, lightweight, relatively compact, easy to assemble and disassemble, and cost effective to store and ship.